


if i couldn't be strong (would you still love me the same?)

by justprompts



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Death Eaters, F/F, F/M, Hogwarts Eighth Year, M/M, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-10
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:08:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27988995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justprompts/pseuds/justprompts
Summary: The next time he woke, Potter was shaking him awake.Just - just not the right one.He had hazel eyes for one, and class.He definitely had class. The upturn of the nose and chin, the straight posture.This was not Harry Potter. This was -Well, he had just woken up and who accepts the delightfully altering time related facts of life right as they wake up?
Relationships: Alice Longbottom/Frank Longbottom, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Marlene McKinnon/Dorcas Meadowes, Regulus Black & Sirius Black, Sirius Black & James Potter, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Comments: 57
Kudos: 395





	1. to the night when the moon dropped from the sky

**Author's Note:**

> Before you start the story, here's a request - if any of you like AU fics based on movies, because I just read the most amazing jily fic based off of the movie Wild Child, then comment your requests - I'll make one-shots for the same if possible, because I'm dying to write a movie AU.
> 
> Also,
> 
> Thanks for reading, Enjoy!!

" - some kind of shoddy polyjuice - "

" - it doesn't even work, his eyes aren't - "

" - almost fairly sure nobody has access to my hair or my toenails, Padfoot - "

" - could be a glamour, though why would - "

" - well, he would be an idiot to glamour himself into this to break into Order Headquarters - "

Draco Malfoy regained consciousness before Potter - the small twelve years old part of him lauded himself once - and looked around for his captives.

Because, sure, he and Potter had become close the last few days, dealing with nightmares and crowds of people during Eighth Year together, but they definitely hadn't reached that stage of kinky sex that included any kind of bondage.

And he was, in the strictest sense, bonded.

Bonded and blindfolded.

His wrists were bound to the sides of a chair, his ankles at the bottom and his wand was definitely missing. Thank Merlin actually, because if his wand hadn't been taken - that would have embarassing on both sides, having been kidnapped straight from Hogwarts by people who were incompetent enough to leave wands behind.

How had that happened, come to think of it?

He and Potter had been outside the Room of Hidden Things, a vague understanding between them, when they "coincidentally" ran into each other at the Astronomy Tower or on the Quidditch Pitch. They had been talking, Potter had been right in the midst of telling him why he had been looking for a piece of century old jewellery when Voldemort was standing right outside the school, with a war cry. And then, the smoke - the flash - the malfunctioning fucking room -

"He has the Dark Mark, Albus!" a gruff voice, that Draco was sure he would never hear ever again, spoke.

That was - but that couldn't be - he felt a weird swooping sensation in his stomach, like a tingling suspicion of what was happening. 

"Moody, you're pointing your wand at a person who can't even see you threatening him," another voice said, this one smoother and deeper - and highly familiar.

What he heard next, absolutely gutted him.

"And it would do you good to do the same, Potter," can't-possibly-be-Moody said. 

Potter? Did Potter orchestrate this? But that made no sense. He remembered his bewildered, stupid face when the air around them had twisted like a funnel - his stupid, green eyes wide and shocked -

The blindfold roughly came off, and he stared right into the same green eyes.

His first instinct screamed bloody murder, but the saner, wider part of his brain took in the fact that this wasn't Potter. It was a girl, for one, and she had red hair, braided down her side with a piece of tartan.

Freckles - pale, young heart shaped face - and extraordinarily familiar.

Oh Merlin. No. Not fucking possible. 

This wasn't possible. It couldn't be. Nope. Nada. Draco refused to take part in this nonsensical dead people conference - which now that he blinked in the bright light - could see, included everybody he never wanted to see again, as they brought with them immeasurable amounts of guilt and self hatred and doubt.

It was as he saw Albus Dumbledore, in his bright purple robes - with honeybees on them - that he came to the most important conclusion of the strange, strange day.

This was all, completely, totally, utterly, absolutely Potter's fault.

He forced himself to not flinch as Moody pressed the wand. This was after all, the Order. They didn't punish idiocy or non compliance against authority or disobedience - they celebrated it as bravery.

He leaned front, pressing his chest onto the tip of the wand - delighting in the way Moody blanched uncomfortably when the wand dug deeper, willingly from his side. 

He smiled slowly, grin stretching - in a wolfish manner, all teeth - slightly crazy - that's the inbreeding actually.

The last thing he heard, before the disbelieving silence of the people around him turned to irritation and anger - was a muttered, "Stupefy!"

__

The next time he woke, Potter was shaking him awake. 

Just - just not the right one.

He had hazel eyes for one, and class.

He definitely had class. The upturn of the nose and chin, the straight posture, the casual but politely formal way that he carried himself with, the slight lilt in his words - that only purebloods have. The way he did it all when he was nervous, because its easier to return to the familiar. The accent and impact only purebloods could have, that only training from birth can give you.

This was not Harry Potter. This was -

Well, he had just woken up and who accepts the delightfully altering facts of life right as they wake up? 

He was definitely a Potter, but.

Potter didn't say anything as he set up wards around him, in a small space. Binding charms, most of them old and forgotten. Draco didn't think he knew anybody alive who could still do these.

(Alive? That was hardly a problem, the way things were going.)

Finally, stepping back from the small circle he had made around him, he nodded with a grimly satisfied smile, and flicked his wand to open his ropes.

Draco stretched his wrists and his ankles as he placed a tray of food in front of him. The Order really was amazing - brillant hospitality. The tray was filled with food, not the bread and water any prisoner would hope to get.

"Eat," he said, jerking his head towards the tray and starting to walk out.

That simply wouldn't do. He was, after all, extraordinarily bored. And what better pastime than annoying a Potter?

"Mr. Potter," he began, biting back a smirk as he froze and turned around, confusion clear on his face. "Thank you for the food. Although next time, could you make sure there's no brocolli on my plate. I'm allergic."

"You - you're allerg - what?" he almost spasmed on the spot, eyes wide. 

"Oh, alright," he said, sighing and leaning back. "Maybe I'm not allergic, but I hate them, and my mother used to force me to eat them when I was a little kid - so I pretended I'm allergic and now, its just a habit."

"Did she really fall for it?" a voice from the doorway came and both of them turned towards it.

Ah, Sirius Black. 

This was - absolutely, without a doubt - his dead but not, escaped convict but innocent, not death eater of a cousin - and someone he knew with absurd certainty liked collecting sea shells and drawing doodles of Muggle Bands on them - because when his mother got completely drunk, twice in the last ten years, that's what she told him.

And now, Sirius Orion Black - young and in love with Queen and Beatles, stood leaning against the door frame - looking slightly amused, a cigarette pack peeking out from the pocket in his leather jacket. 

"Like a charm," he replied, forcing his brain back on track so as to prevent a little panic attack. "You probably couldn't have done the same, since great aunt Walburga was always more vicious than my mother."

Sirius froze too, his shoulders tensing. This was fun, he realised along with the fact that he's losing his mind and that he shouldn't have said that. That obviously didn't stop his mouth from insisting, "Really, my mother is a sweetheart. With me, I mean. She hates everyone else. She doesn't show it, because its unbecoming - but there you have it."

The salutation "great aunt" before Walburga probably didn't help.

He watched as his cousin clenched his jaw and then, walked out again, with a loud, "Prongs!" behind him. Which must be Potter's nickname - as he walked out after him.

They returned in ten minutes, he wasn't even fully done with his food, how rude - with everyone. Again.

Dumbledore, Moody, James Potter, Lily Potter and Alice Longbottom - both looking distinctly pregnant - and Frank Longbottom - all names he knew only because he had once seen a photo between the back pages of Potter's Potions Book - who hadn't been angry, like Draco thought he would, but instead told him about them.

Simple stuff. Funny, little things that Potter missed about them.

He swept his gaze through the crowd. Sirius Black, Marlene Mckinnon. Another girl next to her, holding her hand - Dory or something. Dory Gardens, maybe. There was definitely something in her name that connected to orchards.

Emmeline Vance, he thought, with a grimace. She had died in front of him, in Knockturn. Rabastan had killed her and laughed like a pig about it. Hestia Jones, Mundungus - this man didn't deserve to live in polite society, Draco thought disgustedly as he scratched his nose with grimy hands.

They all had their wands out, and Draco could tell which one of them would be formidable opponents, just with their stance. The ones who were better at duelling, were always more comfortable with their wands - more casual.

Lily Potter didn't rotate her wand or fiddle with it, like her husband or Black - whose wands were just a part of their hand, she was after all, a muggleborn. But again, she was Harry Potter's mother, the first defeater of the Dark Lord - albeit with love or whatever - she scared him.

Her green, petrifying, terrifying glare. Along with the fact that she was pregnant - meaning she had little Harry Potter inside her stomach right now.

There was a loud yelp as people appeared through the door.

"This is the last time I'm saying this," a familiar and really, really angry self righteous voice claimed. "Get your filthy hands off me, Pettigrew, or I'll fucking - "

"Alright, alright," that was another familiar voice. "Peter, just - just step back a little. Its only wasting time."

Draco blinked as he saw Potter, his Potter - Harry Potter, that is - his hands bound, walking alongside Professor Lupin, whose wand was pointed at him - and a sullen looking Peter Pettigrew walking behind them, wand clenched in his fist like he was going to dig a hole with it.

"Hey," Potter said, waving awkwardly like a little nerd, as soon as he saw Draco. 

Ah. So, even Potter was playing that game. The casual, we don't care where we are, this is just our jokey personality game. He had, after all, tried his best from his end.

"Hello, Scarhead," he said, settling down once more and pointedly separating the brocolli on his plate.

Lupin left Potter and he made his way, quite willingly down to Draco, nicking a brocolli from his plate - crass plebeian - before sitting down next to him and smiling at Lupin.

It was such a warm smile, Lupin looked a little taken aback. So did all the others, but that was probably because they hadn't expected this eating-sitting-smiling behavior.

Dumbledore was smiling too during this whole exchange, which should have worried Draco - but he really couldn't find the energy. 

"This is clearly not a normal break-in," he said, as Draco sheepishly avoided eye contact. It was easier that way. "Since you've been so compliant, please, do tell - how did you manage to enter through the wards?"

"It was his fault," Draco said immediately, pointing towards Potter, who like the five year old kid he was, stuck his tongue out at him, mock betrayal on his face. "I don't know how he did it, what he did - but it was his fault, because stupid, unrealistic, impossible things like these happen only with him."

He gestured wildly at Potter, waving his hands - as the crowd looked more than confused. 

"My dear boy," Dumbledore began, and Draco hated it and liked it all at once. "Its obviously trying, but its hardly impossible to break through wards. And both of you, forgive me - look barely Hogwarts age, so how is - "

"Oh, he's not talking about the wards," Potter said, snorting. "He's talking about worlds."

It amused Draco to no end, usually, when Potter used his other worldly theories and information, which he had somehow gained, during the final Battle of Hogwarts - and hadn't yet told him how.

Granger and Weasley probably knew, and right now Potter was annoying him by being vague and annoying everybody else too - Salazar, those green eyes of his -

"Why do you look so much like James?" Pettigrew said, suddenly, which unsurprisingly made Potter glare at him with narrowed eyes. "There aren't any glamours or charms on you."

"Yes, well, some of us," Potter began, mockingly. "don't need glamours to look good, Pettigrew."

Black laughed, a bark like sound, before Mckinnon elbowed him with a look.

Lupin seemed to have gauged the concentrated hatred Potter had for Pettigrew because he said, "Its a fair question. You look exactly like James."

"No, I don't," Potter said, shrugging and looking mildly offended. "Its the perfect genetics - but see, I have my mother's eyes."

There was a moment of pause, as everybody looked at his eyes, and Draco resisted the urge, even as Potter comically widened his eyes behind his spectacles, probably to let everyone there know exactly what shade his eyes were.

There was another awkward pause, as Sirius swung around to look at Lily, and then at James - and then, at Potter again.

And again, and again. Until, Remus joined their swinging like a pendulum mission and stared, gaping, at Lily Potter's swollen stomach.

"No way," Longbottom whispered. Well, atleast he was faster than his son at catching up. "That's not - "

"Great aunt," Sirius said, his eyebrows disappearing above, mouth dropping open - like a bloody soap drama - as he pointed his finger accusingly at Draco. "Great aunt Walburga. That means - that means - you're Cissy's son!"

Draco beamed. He knew his cousin was sharp. Thank Merlin inbreeding only brought madness, not stupidity.

Harry nicked another brocolli from his plate - he might as well call him Harry now - and Draco resisted the urge to slap understanding onto Pettigrew's face, who had clearly lost the plot.

"Yeah, he is," Harry agreed, chewing the filthy vegetable - ergh - with a half smile. "Terrifying lady, Narcissa Malfoy."

Potter had obviously given everything up by then. "Draco Lucius Malfoy," he said, offering a hand. "Its a pleasure."

It was Marlene who accepted his hand, eyes narrowed. "Either you're both really, really idiotic liars - because your story is shit - or just strange people in remarkable circumstances. Marlene McKinnon, can't say its a pleasure."

"Same here, really," Draco said, shrugging. "Just trying to be polite, is all. We know who you all are, by the way - so, no need to introduce yourself really. Except you." He pointed towards the girl with short spiky hair.

"Dorcas Meadowes," she said solemnly, accepting his hand to shake. 

He knew it was related to gardens.

"Why do you have a dark mark?" she asked, curiously as if there were a lot of reasons to take a mark. She was probably trying to give him a chance, but Draco didn't understand nice people like that.

The subject was a sore one, and she must have been a Gryffindor, because nobody has lesser tact than that. 

"Its quite a fashion trend in the future," he said, blandly, as Harry laughed. "And my mother hates tattoos."

Nobody seemed impressed, but atleast he tried. 

"It wasn't taken willingly," Potter answers for him, surprisingly. "Its a long story."

"What I don't yet understand," Lily Potter began, irritably, a hand on her stomach - and Harry visibly flinched at her voice. "Is why we're still asking them questions, and not using Veritaserum. Its not like we'll believe them without it."

Harry smiled, "You're smart not to." 

He extended a hand towards his father.

"Harry James Potter," he said. "Its simply a delight to meet you."

They shook hands in silence, expressions unreadable.

___

"Before we take the Veritaserum, we have a few conditions," Harry said, glancing at Dumbledore, as his mother stood with a vial of the truth serum, her hand visibly shaking.

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, as Moody, who had been quiet so far said, "You're in no position to make any conditions, boy."

"Yes, we are," Harry said easily, his eyes sharp. "And you will agree, or we'll walk out of here - and you won't ever get your answers."

Sirius laughed, his arm around Remus's - his bark like laughter somehow made Harry smile - looking amused.

"Really? You're two people, and not even adults yet, probably - you expect to just somehow get through all fifteen of us - and walk out?"

"Quite," Harry said, simply, smirking back at his godfather. 

Peter laughed scornfully, his face contorted in condescension. Which, Draco knew, would immediately get on Harry's nerves - and he had a shit temper -

Harry glared at Pettigrew, and the wand in his hand - disintegrated. Pettigrew looked at his now empty hand in utter disbelief, and fear - the wooden sand spilling between his fingers. 

The stunner hit him right after Harry.

___

When he woke up next, Harry was looking at him. Just staring, like a little creep.

They were in a dungeon, probably - which was when he realised that Harry was waiting for him to wake up.

James and Sirius were sitting outside the cell, bars and all - talking in hushed voices, before looking up and seeing them awake.

Harry stood up, offering Draco a hand - who stood up too, and went towards the the door. 

"Open it," Harry said, quite calmly. 

"We really can't," Sirius said, shaking his head. "Though, I have a feeling that's hardly going to be an issue for - "

Harry glared at the door, whose lock broke down, the heavy metal iron just pouring down. He kicked it open - and James and Sirius barely flinched. Draco realised that melting people's wands was probably unheard of - especially, wandlessly and wordlessly - and that they hadn't even thought that this would keep them in.

" - you," Sirius finished, smiling grimly at the now broken, swinging gate. "Still had to try, though. Dumbledore's sealed the outside gate - I have a feeling he had no idea what to do with you."

"Feeling's mutual," Draco muttered, walking out behind Harry, with a serious doubt in his head about what all Harry could just do.

He had always known, Harry Potter was powerful, but since the war, that last stand with Voldemort - he had seemed different. More - ethereal. All knowing, in a way. Almost, like he wasn't - human, anymore.

"You can take out your wands, by the way," Draco said, to James and Sirius, who still hadn't taken them out, hands in pockets - like they were protecting them.

Sirius glanced at Harry once with a grimace and raised eyebrow. "And your I melt everything I look at funny friend won't have a problem with that?"

"Hardly," Harry said, smiling lopsidedly, with a chuckle. "I'm not going to melt your wands."

Draco didn't know whether it was the emphasis on "your" or the emphasis on "wands" that did the trick.

___

"That's your condition?" Sirius asked, for the hundredth time, looking angrily between Pettigrew and Harry. "You want us to use Veritaserum on Peter before we use it on you?"

"Yup," Harry answered, flicking his right wrist up and down - and obviously, biting his smile as Pettigrew flinched everytime. "I want you to use Veritaserum on Pettigrew - because he's a fucking traitor - and frankly, I'm surprised he hasn't run away yet."

"I'm not a traitor, Sirius," Pettigrew whined for the billionth time. "I swear I'm not - "

"Would you be willing to make an Unbreakable Vow?" Draco interrupted, sharply. 

Pettigrew didn't say anything, just glared at Draco.

When he spoke, atleast his voice was firm. "Unbreakable Vows are really fickle - their magic is powerful and sentient, you can't expect me to endanger my life like - "

Harry laughed drily, "Yes, we all know you don't do that."

They obviously weren't expecting the patronus. The eagle almost came charging at them, the second they all spun around to face it - and said, in Dorcas Meadowes' frantic voice, "Mckinnon Mansion is under attack, eighteen death eaters, hurry, we're surrounded, plea - "

Her voice was cut short by a loud yell and static.

James and Sirius exchanged a look, before heading to the door, Pettigrew following them - Harry grabbed Draco's hand, and obviously, just because he was Harry fucking Potter, wandlessly disapparated right through the wards.

The Mansion was full mayhem. He could hear yells, and curses and flinging hexes and screams - and he could see -

Lucius Malfoy's eyes widened as they both ran towards the door, and Draco could hardly resist the urge, he flicked his hand upside, though wandless magic took a lot out of him, unlike Potter who had a whole ocean of magic inside him - and disarmed his father.

He sprinted forward, and plucked the wand from the air as it flew, and he had trained with this wand growing up, it responded almost perfectly - he stunned his father - and from his robe, took out the feather portkey, and pressed it onto his hands.

He hoped the portkey would take him to the Malfoy Mansion of this time period, otherwise it would be awkward. Really, really awkward.

Raising his wand, back to back with Harry Potter - who, like a fucking genius - still didn't have one - somehow felt like victory already.

They fought well together, Potter's boldness and recklessly running into battle complimenting his calculations, his stance, his technique. They split halfway into the corridor - and Draco headed towards the room where the young screaming was coming from.

Bellatrix really was a piece of work, wasn't she, he thought as he disarmed her easily, stunning her and bounding her to the wall. He stretched his hand out for the girl on the ground to take - who hesitated for a second before allowing herself to be pulled up.

It was then, that he felt the abrupt prickling on the back of his neck, the feeling that there was someone behind and he was an open target -

He spun around just as Sirius's spell hit the death eater who had been aiming at him - he nodded once at Sirius who inclined his head in acknowledgement and slight bemusement, before heading out and handing the girl over to someone who knew where to take her.

That really was no issue, Marlene McKinnon grabbed her as soon as she saw her and hugged her tightly, leaving Draco to shuffle awkwardly and look away. 

It took a while - Moody almost crowing over the caught death eaters, looking happier than Draco had ever seen him. 

And then, they apparated to Headquarters again, because that's just the kind of idiot Potter was.

Pettigrew didn't return.

Harry watched the Marauders make excuses with a tight jaw.

____


	2. and we ran across the hill to find where it lie

___

"You're my son," Lily Potter said, absently, her hand on her belly - eyes glazed and distant.

"Er - yes," Harry said, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly like it was his fault. "That is what I said."

"Like the baby inside me," she insisted. "You're him."

"Yeah."

"You're my son," she reiterated, and Merlin, Draco was getting tired of this. 

They had just willingly submitted to questioning with the Veritaserum - both him and Harry and despite only asking them simple questions like "what's your name" and "when were you born" and "do you wish anyone here any harm" - it had become clear within the last hour or so that Harry was indeed Lily and James Potter's son, from the future. Dumbledore had tried asking him how he could do such powerful wandless magic, but Harry had almost bitten his tongue off.

"Well," he said, with a sardonic smile. "Would you prefer if I say no?"

"Of course not," she said - half heartedly, and Sirius rubbed Harry's back in mock consolation - who snorted and shook him off. 

Potter Sr. was taking it all in much better stride - what he wasn't taking well was Pettigrew's betrayal. They had gone over that during the questioning too. Lupin was still sitting near the window side - his face screwed up in thought - leaning on the sill and fiddling with his wand.

"Okay," Harry said, sighing. "Till you get over your shock, I think I should tell you all why I asked to arrange an Order meeting right now."

"This isn't an Order meeting, actually," one of the Prewett twins said, from where they were sitting on the couch - Gideon, maybe? 

"We have more people in the Order," Fabian observed. "And Alice isn't in the Order. She's just Frank's wife and too knocked up to stay alone in the big, bad manor of - "

"Right," Harry interrupted, clapping his hands together - as Alice glared at him over her stomach. "It is a war and alliances are always unclear. There are spies everywhere - "

"Well said, boy," Moody muttered.

" - and I know I can trust everybody here," he finished. "Point is - if we don't intervene, the war's going to go on for twenty more years. And its going to be hopeless, at so many points. But we know how to end it. We know how to defeat Voldemort. If you work with us, if you all help us - we can finish this shit in a month."

There was a long silence after that proclamation, until Fabian and Gideon started cheering.

"I like your son, Jamsie boy," Fabian chortled.

"Don't call me that," James mumbled, an odd expression on his face as he looked at Harry. 

"So, are you in?" Harry asked, still casual but Draco could see the slight tension in his shoulders - his incredibly fit shoulders - but that was beside the point. 

"Sure," Sirius said, dragging Lupin out with an arm around him. "Why not?"

"We trust you," Marlene said, her hand in Meadowes'. "If you can help Moody catch eight death eaters - well. You're probably not lying."

"Okay, Harry," Lily said, slowly - as if testing out the name.

Draco found it extraordinarily amusing to see Harry flush. It lasted barely a minute, though, before he was speaking again.

"Right, then," Harry said. "We should get started, shouldn't we? I mean, I have a few ideas - as to where we need to start this off, but most importantly. You all here, need to careful. During the first war, there were loads of pointless deaths. In the future we come from, none of you are alive."

He gave them a moment to digest that. It didn't take them long - noble fucking Gryffindors, Draco thought derisively.

"Prewetts," he said, making them both jump. "Dorcas. Be careful. You're going to be attacked soon. And since Pettigrew is gone, I would say Remus and Sirius, too. Be very, very aware - all the time. We don't want any casualties."

"Well, Gid, old boy - " the twin who Draco had thought was Gideon said.

"Never thought we'd live past - " real Gideon said.

"Our twenties, anyway - " Fabian said.

"You know what that means?" 

"We can tell Molly smoking won't kill us?"

"Don't tell her that," Harry said, distractedly, before turning to the group. "So, I'm going to assign you all some tasks. We'll explain as we go along, but for now - just please trust me on this. Whatever your task is, its important to the end goal. Which is, obviously - Voldemort."

"Question," Longbottom said, waving his hand in the air. "Why isn't Dumbledore here?"

"We're going to tell him all this later," Harry said, shrugging. "I would prefer to show him my memories instead of just telling - but it would be really inefficient to show you all memories. You can take Dumbledore at his word, if not at ours. Besides, we need his help to get back."

"To your own time?" Alice asked, her eyes narrowed. "Wouldn't that future not exist anymore?"

"There are a lot of futures," Harry said cryptically, like he was prone to - and Draco sighed. "Our future isn't yours."

"Right," James said, stretching out the vowel and looking expectantly at Harry. "Tell us, then. You can assign teams to the tasks if you need."

"Okay," he said, standing up again and looking at the group. "First thing that we need to do. Sirius. And Malfoy."

Sirius raised an eyebrow at him. Draco tried rubbing his left forearm discreetly.

"You need to find your brother," he said, to generally shocked expressions - and James's outraged one. "You need to find Regulus and get him here. He'll come, quite willingly, if I'm right. "

"And - er - why is that?" Sirius croaked, his surprise morphing into curiosity and anger.

"He has - " Harry began.

"Why would you think Regulus would even come?" Sirius said, starting to laugh bitterly. "Don't tell me - he's a turncoat, is he?"

"Yes," Harry answered simply, as Sirius's mouth fell open. "He's going to die this year, otherwise. And granted, he died trying to defeat Voldemort - "

Sirius's throat made a disbelieving choked sound - like a kneazle dying.

" - but his death is preventable," Harry said. "His death is absolutely preventable. And he's the true Black Heir, isn't he? The more purebloods we have, the better. We need their blood."

Awkward silence, as Draco slowly turned to stare at Harry. Pure blood? Why didn't Draco know about Harry's blood collecting vampire desires? 

"To enter the vaults," he clarified, hurriedly as his very-young-and-not-really-parents and Sirius looked at him in faint horror. "We need to break into two Gringotts vaults, and possibly wards on Manors - I think, so it would be better if - "

"Gringotts vaults?" Remus said, shaking his head - his eyes wide and bemused. "You can't break into - into Gringotts! Its - its not possible - "

"Its like one of those things that are just, simply impossible," James said, wisely. "Like surviving killing curses or breaking out of Azkaban. Its just not possible."

Draco snorted, and Sirius sent him a dirty look that was unasked for.

"Like I said," Harry said, valiantly fighting back a smile. "We'll get to that later. We might not need to break in, per say - but its not legal all the same. I don't know if you know where to start finding Regulus, but you need to track him down somehow - "

"I know where he is," Sirius muttered, clenching his jaw obstinately as James, Lily and Remus both swung around in surprise. "He is my brother," he tacked on defensively, when James glared at him.

"Does he know where to find you?" Remus asked, his eyebrows pinched together.

Sirius tensed further.

"Have you met him since school?" Lily asked incredulously, aggravated. 

Sirius shook his head minutely, as James narrowed his eyes and asked, "She means to say, have you seen him since school?"

Sirius remained shut, which was telling in itself. Which meant, Potter Sr. now had the same heroically betrayed look that Harry got sometimes. Draco resisted the urge to knee someone in the groin and run.

"We'll go in the morning tomorrow," Sirius declared, abruptly - looking at Draco cautiously, nay - looking at his forearm - where the Dark Mark was, under his sleeve.

"Prewetts, then," Harry said, turning to the couch where they sat up - eyebrows rising playfully. "We need you to make - certain - er - products. Draco and I can describe most of them, but you'll have to figure out someway of making them - "

"And we're giving you that task in the hope that you'll make them just as well as your nephews did," Draco interrupted. "Useful little critters."

"Nephews?" they both asked, at the same time, leaning forward eagerly. "Bill? Charlie? Oh. Wait. Plot twist, its Percy - isn't it?"

"Er - the twins actually," Harry said, as Fabian and Gideon both smirked smugly, looking delighted. "Fred and George."

"Ah, we told Molly behavior isn't everything - " Fabian said.

"But does she listen?" Gideon said.

"No - and now, ickle Gred and ickle Forge are building devices for the Order - " Fabian continued, rubbing his hands together gleefully in a faintly disturbing manner. Draco deliberately didn't think of the twins when they were just four years old - cute little ginger hellions who demanded all forms of ginger mayhem.

"When can we start?" they said, suddenly - their heads simultaneously swinging to Harry who blanched a little, before he described Weasley's Wizard Wheezes - and the type of products they made, like the decoy detonators, extendable ears, the charmed built-in hats and gloves shields and the temporary invisibility products.

They all seemed appropriately impressed.

"We need people on patrol too," Draco said, finally forcing himself to turn from the chaos that was the Prewett twins. "Security against death eater attacks and raids. There were so many Light families that were completely wiped out during the first war. We need to make lists - possibly, warn and assign people for protection. I don't think we've changed enough yet for the timeline to alter completely."

They discussed that for a while - Alice gasping when Harry mentioned the Bones.

"We also need to be prepared for a direct attack by Voldemort," Harry said, grimly and Draco noted that nobody so much as flinched. If anything, the Prewett twins seemed to get off on it. "Pettigrew would have told him. About us being time travelers."

The window next to which Remus was sitting shattered. 

__

It was half past eleven at night, when he felt her leg over his, the creak of the bed as she turned in her sleep, stretching it right over his lower torso.

James was still awake. 

He could hear Lily breathing, slowly with puffs - like she did when she was asleep, her leg warm over his, like always. 

It was sometime in the evening, when James had finally realised what the burning feeling in his stomach was. Love. For a son he didn't completely have. And fierce, furious pride - because his son was everything and more that he could have ever hoped for, his personality in spades - he had become a man worth respect and admiration. He was powerful, brave, smart - and kind, like Lily said, a small pleased smile on her face.

(Merlin, she's beautiful, James thought distractedly.)

The impromptu Order meeting had gone over well. They had discussed possible attacks and teams - grumbled and reluctantly agreed to try giving Lucius Malfoy an easier path, unless singularly provoked. Draco had assured them that he would take care of him soon, which James decided meant he would offer his parents a one way home free ticket to France - and about Harry and Draco's journey home. 

Harry had asked Lily to help him with research - and although, that might be because she was brillant with any kind of theory - they had exchanged a look as Harry glanced worriedly at - er - little Harry? Well. Either way, Lily had realized it but she was six months along, James mused - and probably glad to be able to do something helpful that wasn't necessarily fighting. 

Sirius had run off right after the meeting, not even waiting for Remus - and by the time James came out, calling for him - even the roar of his motorcycle had mostly faded.

That didn't mean the Regulus conversation was over, he thought decidedly. Sirius was such a brash idiot when it came to his family. Some people wore their hearts on their sleeves. Sirius's heart hung off from the tips of his fingers. Always ready - ready to bleed, ready to cut.

He was still deep in his thoughts, when he heard a loud whisper, startling him upright.

"Er - James?"

It was Harry, James thought, relieved, even though it was virtually impossible to break into the wards of the safehouse.

"Yeah, Harry?" he whispered back, lifting a finger to his lips and getting up slowly - untangling Lily gently. "One second, wait."

They walked outside the room, to the side balcony, and Harry shut the door behind him, promptly saying, "I need the invisibility cloak. And the Map. We need to go to Hogwarts."

"Oh," James said, eyes slightly wide as he registered how casually Harry had mentioned the two things. "I can give you the cloak right now, but we lost the map, actually - "

" - to Filch," Harry completed, as he bit his lip - fingers constantly fiddling. "I forgot about that. Right. So, can we get the cloak? I'll return it as soon as possible."

James didn't reply, choosing instead to go inside and giving him the cloak. They really didn't have much to say to each other - he realized - it was awkward, but more than that, it was a little unnerving. James certainly didn't know what to say - and Harry always seemed to open his mouth to speak, but then he would close it and duck his head with a flush.

"Thank you, then," he said, as he went out.

James didn't bother asking what he planned to do. He could see how capable Harry was - he could melt people's wands, for Merlin's sake - and that he would be fine. Besides, James had always been a good judge of character. If he had to guess, Harry was more like Lily and even Sirius than like him. He wouldn't appreciate being asked after - probably wouldn't like anyone suggesting, be it his own father - that he might need help.

"Harry?" he called as the boy reached the front door. "I'm very proud of you."

Harry stilled.

"And your parents, the ones you're familiar with - they would be very, very proud of what you're doing too," James said, quietly.

"That means a lot," Harry whispered after a long pause - before he put on the cloak.

James nodded, swallowing - now looking into clear space.

"Thank you, dad," the air whispered once more.

__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Filler update, I haven't written in a couple of days - and just wanted to see where the plot should go. Its short and quite quickly written, but I hope you enjoyed!!


	3. tripping on tree roots and slipping on snow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Filler chapter again, I'll update soon with an actual plot point instead of just messing around. Though I did try explaining the timeline I'm following from Sirius's POV. Thanks for reading!!!

__

Sirius was overwhelmed.

It wasn't anything he had ever felt before, had always prided himself on his ability to stay calm, nonchalant - cool under fire. As he ran out of the HQ safehouse, desperately hoping that James wouldn't follow him - he felt anything but cool. 

He couldn't explain it properly - because nobody would understand. Of course, there was the matter of his not-born-yet-but-also-an-adult godson who he loved - truly, but more than that there was - Regulus.

Regulus was the first person Sirius had ever loved. 

It was more than a bond the two of them had - Sirius hadn't ever felt so fiercely, so strangely protective of anyone. Still didn't, if he was being honest. Remus and James - they were his partners in crime, the people who he counted on to always have his back, his comrades - his marauders.

( - It was now that Sirius was realising how easy it was to exclude Peter from the list that included his brothers-in-arms. - )

Regulus was different. It was so much more complicated - yet so much simpler.

They were brothers. That was it. 

Sirius had spent the first eleven years of his life protecting Regulus. The next two, trying to convince him that different houses didn't have to divide them and that it was still Sirius and Regulus, Siri and Reggie - against the world. That James hadn't replaced Regulus, just added a little laughter to their tiny circle.

( - "I'm going to hex you, Sirius!" nine year old Regulus with a stolen spare wand had yelled, grinning widely.

"Not if I hex you first!" Sirius had replied, ducking as Regulus waved his wand jokingly.

None of them had ever done it. They probably hadn't even thought of actually doing it. - )

Third year had come with a new spirit - a vacation with the Potters and the confirmed fact that Sirius was the one in the right, his mother was completely wrong. Which meant, that by association - Regulus was wrong. He had spent the next two years pushing his name away, hating his blood and everything to do with his family.

(Not that Regulus had ever tried to stop Sirius from it. He often wondered whether it was because Reg was so tired of being invisible, he wanted Sirius out of the spotlight for once.)

They were in fifth year when the slytherins openly started talking about blood purity and whispering the name of a new Lord. A powerful wizard who promised to cleanse the world of supposed muggle filth. 

It was a rebelliously turbulent year - Sirius filled the walls of his room with gryffindor color banners, muggle photos of motorbikes - and as a last ditch attempt to try being straight, women. He took muggle magazines from Marlene, tore the pages with models on them and stuck them, with permanent sticking charms on his red and golden walls - objectively praised their beauty. 

It wasn't enough. 

Snape caught him coming out of a broom cupboard with Andrew Goldstein - and by the next morning, the whole school had known - Regulus and Narcissa had known. 

His parents had sent their most spiteful Howler yet. The next full moon, Sirius had snapped - and almost killed Snape.

When he came home that summer - instead of spending a few days with the Potters, because of his falling out with James - it was his last. He had grabbed his wand and a small duffel bag, and run - exchanging a last glance with a stony faced Regulus. The silence had only fuelled his anger - as he shouted in no uncertain terms that he was absolutely and totally gay and that he had only ever pulled muggleborn or muggle boys. 

His face on the tapestry had burnt, and so had he - nerves on fire, blood boiling, needles and knives in his back - his mother's face contorted with an ugly sneer as she cursed him, again and again.

The last time Sirius talked to Regulus was in Hogsmeade. Regulus, a seventh year then - slytherin quidditch captain and prefect - had showed him his writhing dark mark - the hateful pride clear and painful on his delicate features - and Sirius had almost hexed him. 

Almost.

The last time Sirius had seen Regulus was on the day of his father's funeral. Regulus hadn't seen him, but Padfoot had followed Regulus to his place - a tiny safehouse, warded almost as heavily as Grimmauld Place. Regulus had probably not wanted to live full time with their deranged mother in a huge, creepy house.

Half a year later, he had come back to his own flat, to see documents lying on his dining table - he had been reinstated into the family, apparently - now that Regulus was Head. Sirius hadn't understood whether it was a peace offering or if Regulus was just trying to annoy him. He hadn't replied, either way - just upped his wards even more - because how the hell did Regulus get inside?

He shook off all thoughts of Regulus or his supposed betrayal of the dark side - as he rode - heading towards muggle London, he just wanted a break - and landing finally, in a shifty looking alley. He made his bike invisible again, before leaving it parked and walking to the nearest pub. It was lit with those colorful neon lights that muggles usually had - spelling out the words in blue outside - ACES.

It didn't sound too odd - so Sirius went in, leaning on the counter and ordering like he owned the place. A tall, brown haired guy looked at him, his gaze sweeping up and down appreciatively - smiling a little.

"Where're you going?" Sirius asked, his voice low - grabbing his wrist, as the guy took his drink and started making his way out. 

"Nowhere special," he replied in a lazy drawl, his eyes glinting golden in the light.

"I could change that," Sirius said smoothly - and smirked as the guy raised an eyebrow and offered him a hand.

"Thought you'd never ask."

__

Benjamin 'call me Benjy' Smith was a nice guy. Good enough in bed and he made Sirius a midnight breakfast after that, so it was a win-win. 

"These pancakes are the best I've ever had, Benjy," Sirius said, earnestly - as Benjy smiled, pleased - and took a bite of the crackers and cheese he had in front of him. "Where'd you learn to cook like that?"

"My stepfather used to burn my hands if I didn't cook well for him," he said, shrugging as Sirius focused his horrified gaze on the chocolate chip pancakes - now, the Pancakes Of Pain And Abuse And Blood Cocoa - and marvelled at how open some people were about everything. "Picked up a few things."

Sirius stared at Benjy with an unreadable look till Benjy changed the subject. 

They finished the food, Sirius charmed the plates clean when Benjy wasn't looking - and they laid next to each other - talking about random daily things, something which Sirius had definitely never done with any muggle before. Especially a muggle he had had sex with already. Benjy was a teacher in a muggle high school - and having been a fucking horrible teenager himself, Sirius could sympathize with his several woes. 

It was harder to explain his own job without seeming like a nutter - but Benjy wasn't the prying type.

"I'm going to kiss you," Benjy announced, as Sirius finished telling him an abridged, censored version of his last quidditch match - which had become soccer in the last hour - and the Ravenclaw boy he had pulled after in an empty classroom.

Sirius blinked at him - frankly, completely opinion-less on the matter.

"I'm going to kiss you, and if you don't like it, you can return it," he finished, his voice a little slurred and slow - he was such a lightweight - with a dorky smile, and Sirius grinned lopsidedly at him before leaning in.

The kiss was simple and sweet - Benjy tasted of grapefruits and lemons - but as he pulled away, all Sirius could think of was how his eyes didn't have the amber ferality in them that Sirius really wants to kiss. 

He doesn't have small silver and pink scars below his lip and above his left eyebrow and his hair isnt scruffy enough - and he smells too human. He doesn't smell like winters and cardigans and chocolates and coffee and library books and damp wood. His nose isn't scrunched up even a little, like Sirius imagines Moony's would be if they ever -

Sirius doesn't feel any sort of magic thrumming in him - and somehow, that resonates too deep - edges too close to the territory in Sirius's head that he's long since suppressed - locked in a box and put it away, only to be taken out during impossibly outrageous dreaming or miserable drinking.

Sirius stays the night - and Benjy seems to gauge his mood, maybe Sirius is acting too much like a petulantly pining teenager so Benjy, being a teacher, can just tell - either way, they part ways quite amicably in the morning, both on the same page - as Benjy goes to work, and Sirius as a last favour, cleans up his cluttered apartment - using household spells that he once saw Mrs. Potter use - and gears his bike, his mood considerably lighter - even as he braces himself for a meeting with Regulus Arcturus Black.

(He always was such a ponce.)

__

When Sirius enters, the first thing he sees is Harry - sitting sheepishly on the counter table as the Malfoy kid, Draco - yells at him.

" - and so our gryffindor hero assumed," he picks something shiny up from the table and waves it around vigorously. "THAT HE WOULD JUST BREAK INTO HOGWARTS in the MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT ALL ALONE AND FUCK WITH THINGS LIKE - "

"Good morning," Sirius interrupts brightly, winking surreptitiously at Harry - who grins back widely. "Such a nice, quiet day, isn't it?"

"Morning, Padfoot," Harry said, and even though its completely alright - Sirius still startles a little at the nickname. "Where did you go after the - er - meeting?"

Bless this boy, he's just as awkward as James.

"Muggle pub," he replies, easily. "Went for a drink."

"You go to the pub alone?" Draco asked, curiously - possibly digging for information, or possibly just bored and nosy. He's a Malfoy though, so Sirius wagers its the former.

"Yes," Sirius said cheerfully, stretching the vowel. "But I never leave alone."

Harry's shaking his head as he looks at Sirius - but there's nothing disapproving in it, rather - it's fond. Nostalgic, even. He knows it shouldn't matter much but it definitely pleases him. 

He sits down on the folding chair in the kitchen, helping himself to dry chocolate cereal straight from the box - as Draco tskes and huffs, fiddling with something that looks vaguely like a crown, with a huge ultramarine stone in its centre.

"What's that?" he asks, casually.

"Ravenclaw's Lost Diadem," Harry replies, just as casually - as Sirius chokes on his Cocoa Puffs. "Or more importantly, something we need to destroy."

Sirius doesn't know what baffles him more - the fact that he has Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem in his hands, the fact that Sirius believes him instantly or that they have to destroy it.

"Er - destroy it?" he asks weakly, as Draco levitates him a glass of water for his throat. "You want to destroy Ravenclaw's actual diadem?!"

"Its a long story," Harry says, defensively.

___

They don't hear the long story even during breakfast. The Prewett twins are there, and so are Lily and James and Remus, James who gives him a silent, quizzical look that he replies to with a nod and a smile, grateful that he hadn't asked anything - and Lily, who passive aggressively shows her annoyance by giving him only cold toasts. 

Remus doesn't even glance his way. Sirius doesn't know why exactly, though he has his suspicions - and a feeling that he completely deserves it. 

"I got the Map back, too," Harry says, suddenly, pulling out a familiar, yellowing parchment and placing it on the table in front of Sirius and Remus with a dramatic flourish - who smile involuntarily, flipping the blank Map open. "Filch was dancing with his cat on Chuck Berry when I entered. Best break-in ever - "

"If you do something like that again without telling me, Potter, I will kill you," Draco says, sweetly - his smile innocent as Harry avoids catching his eye - while Sirius realizes that this is exactly how Narcissa shows affection.

"You know," Harry begins conversationally, as Draco glares at him in a don't-think-we're-done-talking-about-this way. "I've always wondered why its Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs - like in that order? I mean, is it just what fitted better?"

"Oh, of course not, Harry," James says. "The Map is a really complicated piece of charmed work, and we had to follow certain runic sequences, you see - "

"Yeah," Sirius says, smiling. "Alphanumeric patterns and established lexican semantics in an order that wouldn't disrupt the arithmetical framework of the - "

"Snogging," Remus deadpans, snorting as both James and Sirius turn to glare at him. "Its actually according to who got their first kisses when."

There's a pause as Draco's eyebrows rise, and the Prewett twins laugh - before Harry bursts out, his eyes wide as he looks at Sirius and James - voice indignant, "Wormtail pulled before you both?!"

Before Sirius has the time to explain the indignity - though, there is nothing to explain, both Moony and Wormtail have always been better at talking to girls, especially fucking Peter, who pulls out the adorable-kid-sympathy card - and before he has the time to make fun of James once more about the fact that his wife was literally his first kiss - a silver polar bear comes gliding into the room.

Their wands are raised, even as the Prewett twins exchange an excitedly nervous sort of glance - and the polar bear patronus opens its mouth to say in Molly Weasley's frantic and somehow still stern-prefect voice, "Fab, Gid, my water broke - Arthur's coming over, come to," there's a strangled hiss, "Mungo's. Right. Now," she snarls, quite angrily.

Harry is out of the door even before Fabian and Gideon, grabbing Draco by his arm and running out with Draco protesting incredulously, "I don't want to see a ginger weasel being birthed - "

Sirius catches up to the two, realizing that they're close in age - and must be in the same year - gryffindor, almost certainly.

"So, you - you know Molly's - ?" he asks, as they walk fast towards the entrance. "Her - latest son?"

"Ron," Harry says. "His name is going to be Ronald Weasley and he's my best friend."

"It's disgusting, frankly," Draco adds, without bite. "They're joined at the hip, bloody golden - "

"He's my Sirius," Harry says, glancing once at James before shrugging at Sirius with a faint quirk of his lips as they disapparate.

Sirius doesn't bother hiding his smile.

__


	4. you were holding my hand, saying not to let go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU ABSOLUTELY LOVE REGULUS BLACK <33
> 
> Also I recently changed the names of the chapters, because like I always say, I just love all these pretentious titles, makes me feel aesthetically appealing ;) the lines are, btw, from the book - The Poetic Underground, by Erin Hanson. Who happens to be my favourite poet. So do check out his works, if you want to!
> 
> I'll do some Regulus POV soon, just wanted to introduce him. Enjoy!!!

___

Its somewhere in the middle of Molly screaming profanities and Arthur Weasley breaking two fingers as Molly horribly mistreats his hand, that the Malfoy boy - Draco - Sirius should really start calling him by his name, he is his uncle after all - grabs his arm and pulls him out of the Emergency Ward. 

"Regulus, then?" he asks, and Sirius sighs. It wasn't like Sirius had a particular interest in seeing Molly's baby, but the kid was proving to be a nice distraction. He nodded, leading the way out of Mungo's. 

"Side-along me?" Draco asked, as they reached the apparition point. "Or do you want to go back to your Order Headquarters and then - " 

Sirius pulls him on the spot and disapparates, to what he knows - is right outside Regulus's apartment. 

He knows he's made a slight mistake as soon as they land, or in Sirius's case - fall. 

Right on top of a person dressed in black robes and a silver mask. 

__

Draco knew it was a going to be a mess as soon as Sirius turned on the spot. 

Now, though - now that Sirius is half-sitting on a death eater, mask falling - laughing almost hysterically at the turn of events, he realises what a drastic understatement that was. 

This is going to be a train wreck. 

The death eater lets out a stream of impressively colorful language as Sirius struggles to get up. 

The voice is - extraordinarily familiar. Apparently, Sirius thinks so too, because he tenses for a second, before jumping down and pressing his wand against the death eater's throat, almost snarling, his face contorted horribly. 

And suddenly, Draco knows who it is. Its complicated, at best, what he feels for this man - but he did spend quite a lot of time in Eighth Year mourning him. The fact still remains, that this man is not the same one that Draco knew. 

Severus Snape is not at all the man he would be in twenty years. Or not, since everything good about this man spouts and ends at one Lily Potter. Who wouldn't die in this timeline. 

"Hello, Snivellus," Sirius says, baring his teeth in an alarmingly dog like manner. "Long time, huh?" 

"Clearly not long enough," Snape mutters, venom in every word - as Sirius laughs humorlessly. "Are you lost, Black?" 

"Usually," Sirius says, lightly, as Severus slips his wand from his sleeve and Draco disarms him easily, catching the wand that he's so familiar with. Snape, who hadn't even glanced at him yet, turned the full Snape-dungeon-bat glare on him. 

And recoiled, confusedly. 

Draco bets a galleon its because he's clearly a Malfoy. 

"What - " Snape begins, and breaks off, eyes narrowing. "You're the - you're the boy who sent Lucius back to - " he breaks off again, looking uncertain and suspicious. 

He finally settles on glaring at Sirius, probably because its familiar. 

"What're you doing here, Snape?" Sirius asks, his lip curling in disgust as he holds his wand pressed to Snape's throat. "Coming to chat with - friends?" 

Snape sneers, turning towards Draco, making him feel the pressure on his mental shields. 

Well. He has always been a little shit, hasn't he? 

"Won't work," Draco says shrugging with one shoulder. "Learnt from the best, you see." 

Its kind of sad that Snape won't be able to see it for the compliment it is. Sirius narrows his eyes at him. 

There's a sudden noise and before Draco can say anything - or yell, preferably - the wand flies out of Sirius's hand, zooming towards the threshold - where pale, long fingers catch it fluidly from the air. 

(Regulus Arcturus Black, slytherin seeker.) 

Draco registers Sirius from the corner of his eye, who is now wandless - as he apparently decides that the satisfaction of breaking Snape's nose is probably more delightful than duelling with him. 

Draco's stance changes almost instinctively as he sends disarming spells towards Regulus, whose duelling, surprisingly - reminds Draco of his mother's. Narcissa fights in much the same way. 

Regulus looks completely unsurprised by the people next to him, so it must mean that he was watching and decided to step out just now. He certainly looks a lot like Sirius, the pale complexion that purebloods usually have, contrasting with dark hair and flashing grey eyes. He's thinner and taller than Sirius, his back ramrod straight rather than the just-slightly aristocratic posture that Sirius has. 

He's fast - agile, his spells all streaking in rapid succession and thin bands, concentrated and powerful - that Draco has trouble keeping up for a moment, but he manages soon. 

There's probably something about growing up in a war zone that naturally makes you a better dueller. 

There is a little opening right after Regulus sends a smooth blasting curse that misses - and Draco sends a disarming curse. Regulus's wand flies out from his hand, as he makes an irritated noise and he's about to switch to Sirius's wand that he took a while back - when there's a loud bang and all three wands fly out of Draco's hand. Draco curses himself once for being so stupid, of course Regulus has backup. He turns to where the wands flew and looks straight at - 

Nothing. There's nothing but thin air, and Draco blinks in confusion - before looking down. 

There - in all his three feet of ragged towel glory - stands quite a formidable looking house elf, now clutching three wands. 

Draco wants to strangle Potter right now. Just because. Its usually his fault when things like these happen. 

"Master Regulus," he squeaks, before carrying the wands to Regulus - who looks like he's biting a smirk. "Kreacher wondered whether he should have done - " 

"Its alright, Kreacher," Regulus says, grabbing all three wands and tucking them in his back pocket. "You did well." 

"Thank you," he adds - and Kreacher - the scary house elf - disappears with a pop. 

"I can't believe this," Sirius says, incredulously, from where he is - again! - sitting on Snape, who has clearly, passed out, his nose broken and a wierd purple bump on his head. "The little cretin still worships you, for fuck's sake - " 

"If you were nice to him, he'd probably - " Regulus breaks off, tugging at his hair furiously, his cheeks colored as he glares at Sirius and Snape. "Its hardly any of your business. What're you doing here, Sirius?" 

"Why, I came to meet you, brother dear!" Sirius exclaims, getting up and kicking Snape once, who twitches - and walking towards Regulus, arms out stretched as if about to hug him. Regulus must be used to his unpredictability, so he wisely moves a step back, pointing a wand at Sirius. "A little birdie told me that you might be considering a fun jaunt on the Light Side - " 

Regulus's expression immediately becomes guarded as he presses the wand to Sirius's temple. 

"When I turned seven, we were in Glassera. What did you gift me for my birthday?" Regulus asked, quietly - as Draco realised that Regulus had a lot to lose here, he must be wary even before they all - very wisely - attacked each other. 

"You little fucker - " Sirius said, scowling at him. 

"Answer the question!" Regulus reiterated, glaring. 

"We weren't in Glassera. We were in Blackpool," Sirius said, finally - as Regulus sent him an appraising look. "I gave you - the locket. And the little krup puppy. Though, mother didn't - " 

"Alright," Regulus said, taking a deep breath, some of the tension from his shoulders going. He glanced at Snape once, before sending a stunner - and as an afterthought, an incarcerous. "Had to ask, didn't I?" 

"Obliviate him," Draco said, nudging Snape with his toe. "Obliviate him and confund him - and send him on his way." 

Sirius opened his mouth, possibly to argue, when Regulus cut him off, looking unnaturally panicked. 

"He's right. I - I - will not be seen associating with - you," Regulus said, firmly and pointed his wand, his grip white on the hilt, as Sirius snorted mirthlessly. "I don't even know if it'll work, his Occlumency Shields are too strong, even when he's blacked out - " 

"I can break through them," Draco said, and both Regulus and Sirius swung around to look at him. "I mean - not when he's awake, but right now probably. If you could just give me a - " 

Regulus handed him his wand easily, pointing his own to Draco's neck. 

"Hurry the fuck up," he said, quite solemnly. 

___

Sirius absolutely did not regret anything. 

Especially not laying a well deserved one on Snape's face. Nor did he regret Draco erasing his memories, confunding him - and sending him back to some place called "Spinner's End." 

He prodded at his bleeding knuckles, poking Regulus once every while for his wand so that he could heal them. Regulus completely ignored him, instead warding his flat even more and blocking his floo. 

"Bella comes unannounced sometimes," he offered as an explanation. Sirius shuddered. 

He sounded completely calm and polite, like he always had - but Sirius could see how much this was affecting him. The tension in his shoulders, the twitch in his eyebrows, the way his eyes ran wildly before stepping into the room. 

"Well, then" Regulus said, finally - sweeping a gaze across the room with a grimly satisfied smile. "Explain, Sirius." 

And explain he did. 

He hadn't been a hundred percent certain about whether he should tell Regulus about the whole future thing, but that obviously didn't even occur to Draco - who started off by saying, "I'm Draco Lucius Malfoy. Its a pleasure." 

Regulus blinked once, twice - then glared with narrowed eyes and a thoughtful frown for atleast a minute. Finally, he said resignedly, "...time magic?" 

Draco nodded, sending a half smile. 

"You're Cissa's son?" Regulus said, nodding to himself even as Draco confirmed it. "You look like her a lot." 

He did, Sirius thought. While the first impression made him look like Lucius - from his pointy chin and his sharp nose to the cheekbones, it was all Narcissa. 

Draco explained a little bit more about how they had ended up here. 

"Do you - I mean - in your timeline, did you ever, uh - meet me?" Regulus asked, wincing - probably at his lack of eloquence, if Sirius had to guess. "I - Cissa told me she was pregnant but I - did you?" 

Regulus held the painful expression on his face as Draco thought his words over. 

"No," he said, finally. "You died before I was born." 

"Oh," Regulus said, looking too understanding about that fact for Sirius's liking. "But you know then? That I'm your - " he broke off again, sighing. 

Draco seemed to be contemplating whether Regulus was alright in the head. 

"I'm your godfather. Atleast, I was going to be," Regulus said, scrunching his nose up as Draco's mouth fell open. "I'm guessing you didn't know then - " 

"Nobody ever told me," Draco said, a little wondrously. "I didn't have a godfather growing up." 

Regulus winced again, glancing at the kitchen counter and glaring at the teapot and cups till they came flying, pouring them all tea - in quick succession. Apparently, Regulus still had that affinity for wandless household magic and also - still liked his comfort tea. Sirius liked it too, but he would never admit it - because it was something their mother had instilled in them. 

"Seems we've got a lot to talk about," Regulus said, finally, swallowing tea in tiny sips. 

"We do, yes," Draco said, raising an eyebrow at Sirius, who was pointedly ignoring the cup of tea floating near his head. 

__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in this house, we believe that kreacher always helped regulus in all his fights slash duels without being ordered to

**Author's Note:**

> For similar works, check out my dashboard ;))
> 
> [every night before i sleep (i like to think you think of me)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28766853)


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